fun for food fanatics. allergen-friendly eats. give plants a chance.

yumi sushi – new smyrna beach

Another food that I found difficult to part from for my vegan ways was fish, especially raw ahi-grade tuna. The type that you find in those scrumptious sushi rolls. But, I strayed away and haven’t looked back yet. Fun fact: if you break out after eating sushi, especially raw fish, it’s likely because of the bacteria that linger on the dead fish carcass that later fester in your face. Do yourself a solid and stay away. Trust me, you can still have it raw… Just with raw veggies instead.

Anyway, as a vegan who is also soy-free, it is hard to find restaurants that are safe to dine at. Especially asian cuisine, where most of the goods have come in contact with or exposed to, the prevalent soybean. BUT, who’s to say it is impossible to still eat the wonderful asian foods? It’s not! You just have to be extremely cautious and ask about twenty-plus questions ragarding the in-house ingredients and food safety there.

Alas, my boyfriend introduced me to this spectacular little sushi joint in none other than our wonderful, New Smyrna Beach. YUMI Sushi and Sake bar is our go-to now for sushi… and sake of course. I would be lying if I said I didn’t indulge in a carafe or two when dining at Yumi. The staff is very attentive and helpful. We usually rotate between two of the servers there and they always remember us. It’s obviously because we are a complex couple with some discerning food allergies, but regardless they treat us with utmost respect and care. If you come here, let the staff know you have food restrictions and they will take care of you – without hesitation.

I always have one KC veggi roll that contains avocado, carrot and asparagus rolled in a cucumber skin and two of the regular veggie rolls with cucumber, avocado, carrot, asparagus, rice and seaweed wrap. The rolls are always fresh and I’ve never been disappointed. I actually have cravings for this fresh fare. Since I can’t have soy sauce, I’ve crafted a special little dipping sauce of my own comprised of wasabi and sake. Yes, sake. Go ahead and dip that roll into some sake and you won’t go back to the high estrogen and sodium containing soy sauce that everyone is so infatuated with. The bite of the wasabi with the savor of the sake makes for an unexpectedly tasty and spicy sensation. I’m a huge fan of pickled ginger, so I sometimes will put a smaller piece on the top of my veggie roll before dunking into my special sauce. BAM! Fresh flavor and a nice little crunch. It’s delicious and worth giving a try.